While clearing space for more figures (sigh...) I discovered some pics from my 1999 Belgium trip, where in addition to squeezing in the Belgian Grand Prix (and avoiding all the insane Ferarri fans), I managed to follow part of Jochen Peiper's route during the Ardennes offensive, together with other 'Battle of the Bulge' attractions, AND visit the second finest tank museum in all Christendom - in Brussels. Here are the pics...
You might think these first shots uninspiring, but scroll down. This is the Kaiserbaracke crossroads in 99, followed by a rather famous shot from film recorded at the time.
The crossroads has changed dramatically over the years (and yes, with the spirit of wargaming in mind, I gathered twigs to make trees *sigh*). This was the exception however. Stoumont station was eerily quiet. Had I continued down this road for another few hundred metres of course - facing away from the pic, I would have stumbled upon Peiper's last abandoned Panther by the road. I found out about that a month afterward, while reading another book. Damn.
In contrast, Parker's Crossroads was almost a tourist attraction.
This Hetzer (I think in Bastogne) was tiny. We fail to appreciate the size of some of these armoured vehicles I think...
Until that is, you go to La Glieze and see the Tiger II ! Apparently a local woman persuaded the US engineers to leave it there for a few bottles of plonk. Go on Missus!
Next time...pics from the tank museum.
No comments:
Post a Comment